Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1887-09-24
THE WAY TO WIN.


erned by sincere desire to bring
prominently to the front the inter.
ests of the State and urge them as
paramount in this contest. We
are none the less Republican for
this. Indeed we think we would be
less Republican than we claim to be
did we not do it. The Republican
party is only worthy ofsupport as its
aims and purposes may be to pro
mote the welfare of the people,
When itsubordinates its machinery,
its policies and its principles to the
ambitions of individuals, it ceases to
measure up to its traditions, its pro-
fessions and it opportunities. Aud
he is no true friend to tho party who
has not the courage and the indie.
pendence to point out any depart
ure that may be apparent from a
line in accord with what ought to be
the mission of parties. Whenever a
party becomes simply the instru-
ment by which individuals seek to-
crafty their love of power and place,
and divert its machinery from the
legitimate objects for which parties
are formed, then it becomes press.
ing duty upon every one who sees
such a fatal mistake, to expose it,
and bring it to the attention Of the
people whose material interests are
at stake, and weigh the remedies
that may be suggested. He is no
friend of party success upon q high
plane of duty, who will shrink. from
fair and frank criticism of the acts
and movements of party managers,
because it may be charged that the
tendency of such course is to dis.
organize and foment dissensions.
DeSsensions are essential, some
times, to correct errors and thus
achieve success. To hesitate to ex-
pose a wrong because it may offend
the sensibilities Of those who are
willing to be blindly led and sIavish.
~ submit to arbitrary and selfish
plans and purposes, ofsecondary i'm.
portance, is to prove false to convic.
ton and duty. The republican par
ty has well defined policies both in
relation to State and national ad-
ministration. Its organization is
framed and its machinery arranged
presumably to promote these policies
as the primary object. 1t is no evil
dence OF want of party fidelity,
when an effort is made to remove
distractions and to oppose plans
that might interfere with this para.
mount duty Of party. 1t is rather
testimony of devotion to the true in
terests of party that individuals and
their personal schemes are made
subordinate, and the good of the
many consulted, as that which par.
ties were designed to effect. IF
errors of Judgment and the faults of
ambitions are allowed to work them.
selves in the party machinery and
control it, it, is simply serving the
ends of a fatal destiny that speedily
invoke dissolutions and destruction.
And all plans and all arrangements
which do not find their source in the
public welfare, and recognize the
people as supreme and their inter.
ests paramount, and not the selfish
purposes of individuls, are greyious
faults, which it is absolutely essen.
tial should be rooted out if the par
ty is foreman healthy, vigorous and
deserve success. -.- O." g,
We know that with some these
premises are not popular. They
prefer to truckle to the individual
to lick the hand of presumed and
assumed power-to fatter and fawn
in the presence of authority, and
suppress all manly utterance and all
individual independence for fear of
a frown or kick. Parties built I'D
with such timber and political con-
tests controlled and directed by such
Influences, must in the nature of
things, be of short duration, and
will soon disinteGrate and tumble to
pieces. No party can long live or
deserve to live in the confidence of
the people, that has not for its OBJ.
ject primarily the good for the PEG.
pie and the general welfare. 1t NAV
hold its position for while, under
the stress OF peculiar circumstances,
such as the defaults and weakness
of the opposing power, or some ex.
traordinary excitements which
drown reason and conviction for the
time, but when the calm comes, the
moral folc which rest with the
masses and the sense OF responsible
ty which inheres with every one, to